Prescreen Requirements

The following instrument areas require a prescreen recording: chamber music, composition, conducting, piano and voice . Faculty will review prescreen recordings and will determine if an applicant is invited to audition at the Conservatory or a regional site. Please refer to the final audition repertoire section for live audition requirements.

If your instrument is not listed above, you are not required to submit a prescreen recording.

It is mandatory to submit all prescreen recordings online here.

Chamber Music

Candidates must submit an unedited prescreen audio-visual recording with the following solo repertoire.  Please note that current SFCM students are required to submit a prescreen recording if applying for the chamber music program.

Chamber Piano:

  • any first movement of a Beethoven Sonata
  • any etude of virtuosity from one of the following composers: Chopin, Rachmaninoff, Scriabin, or Debussy

Chamber Strings:

  • two contrasting movements of a Bach solo suite, sonata or partita
  • any first movement of a concerto, with cadenza where applicable

Chamber Music: Applying as a Pre-Formed Group

Candidates who wish to apply as a pre-formed group must submit an audio-visual recording of the group performing 2 contrasting movements of a chamber work, as well as the individual prescreen recordings as described above.

Composition

Applicants must submit the following materials: three or more scores in various media and a recording (audio or audio-visual) of each score. Scores must show evidence of original musical thought and the fundamentals of compositional technique. Electronic compositions are acceptable, but applicants must also show competence in traditional notation in the scores submitted. Computer-generated scores should be checked for correct transpositions, appropriate accidentals and normal spellings. MIDI recordings are acceptable in exceptional cases, but acoustic performances are strongly recommended.

Conducting

Candidates must submit an unedited audio-visual recording of the applicant conducting a group in rehearsal for at least 30 minutes. A full orchestra is not necessary. Applicants may include a concert performance in addition to the 30 minutes of rehearsal, but this is not required.

Piano

Applicants must submit an unedited audio-visual recording with the following repertoire:

Undergraduate (recording must be at least 20 minutes in length):

  1. The first movement of a classical period sonata
  2. A complete and substantial Romantic-period work (such as a Ballade or the Mephisto Waltz) or at least two contrasting movements of a larger multi-movement work
  3. One short work of the candidate's choice. This may be, for example, an etude or a prelude and fugue or a character piece from any period.

Graduate (recording must be at least 30 minutes in length):

  1. The first movement of a classical period sonata
  2. A complete and substantial Romantic-period work (such as a Ballade or the Mephisto Waltz) or at least two contrasting movements of a larger multi-movement work
  3. One short work of the candidate’s choice. This may be, for example, an etude or a prelude and fugue or a character piece from any period

Voice

Applicants must submit a prescreen recording with the repertoire listed below.  We strongly recommend that the recording you upload to Decision Desk be audio-visual, but will accept audio-only recordings.

Undergraduate

  1. An Italian aria or song such as those found in the Anthology of Italian Song of the 17th and 18th Centuries
  2. One song in English (not a translation)
  3. A piece chosen by the applicant

Graduate

  1. An opera aria
  2. A contrasting art song
  3. A piece chosen by the applicant

Postgraduate

  1. An opera aria
  2. Two contrasting art songs
  3. A piece chosen by the applicant